If you are planning a trip to Bali, you must be wondering what are some ways of getting around on the island for all your adventures and excursions. Public transportation in Bali may not be as extensive as some other parts of SE Asia, but there are plenty of budget-friendly options to choose from.

In this guide to Transportation in Bali, I will list 7 options you can utilize to help you get around on a budget.

Before You Depart

First, make sure you download the apps below before heading to Bali. The sections that follow will explain how to use them more in detail, but these apps may become useful in arranging your transport in Bali:

Arriving in Bali

The arrival hall at the Ngurah Rai International airport

You will require your first Bali transport from the airport when you land at the Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS).

If you want the easiest, stress-free method of transferring to your hotel, you can either use the Bali airport taxi service or ask your hotel to arrange a private driver to pick you up. However, a flat-rate-airport-taxi can cost up to 4 times the usual fare for a comparable distance; and your hotel will likely charge you more than arranging your own Bali transport with a driver.

To give you an idea of the Bali transportation cost, check out the price comparison table below. You can see how the transportation costs are inflated for an airport transfer:

[table id=3 /]

But relative to what I would pay on a taxi ride back in the United States, these rates are still quite reasonable. So if you find that these rates are affordable for your budget, then, by all means, take advantage of the hassle-free choice.

Transportation in Bali: 7 Budget Options

#1 Rent a Motorbike

Depending on your itinerary, what region of the island you are staying, your budget, and your experience, renting a motorbikecan be the most efficient and affordable transportation in Bali. A scooter rental can run about Rp50,000-70,000/day, and a full tank of gas is about Rp20,000.

An international license is legally required to ride a motorbike, but no renter will enforce this. However, if you get stopped by the police and get caught without a license you will be fined.

Renting a motorbike is optimal for local travel in Bali, rather than long distances. Long distance rides on a motorbike can become uncomfortable, as the weather can be hot, and the air you breathe is dusty and polluted.

Also, parts of Bali is densely populated and can be congested with traffic (Denpasar, Canggu, Ubud). In some of the more remote areas to the north and east, the roads are very narrow and curvy and wind through the mountains. With a rise in motorbike accidents every year, I would recommend that only experienced and confident motorbike drivers attempt this option. If you are not experienced, read on for more (and safer) transport options 🙂

#2 Kura-Kura

Kura Kurais Bali’s best version of a public shuttle bus. As of 2018, you can travel between most popular Bali destinations using the shuttle bus (Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Ubud, Sanur, Jimbaran, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua). With fares starting from only Rp20,000 one-way (up to Rp80,000 depending on the Line), Kura Kura is the most budget-friendly method of moving across towns.

The shuttle bus is modern, clean, and air-conditioned, offering free Wi-Fi as well as electronic charging sockets. If you are transferring across towns during your visit, you may consider purchasing their 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day passes.

#3 GoJek

Most commonly used for their motorbike services, GoJek app will allow you to easily book a driver (for a bike or car) to take you from point A to point B.

Motorbike drivers are the cheapest way to travel around in Bali. For example, a 20-min ride will cost about Rp20,000 (less than $2). There are generally more motorbike drivers than car drivers, so your wait time is also minimal. I have never had to wait more than just a few minutes.

Navigating around town on a motorbike is also time efficient, as you can weave through traffic and get to your destination much quicker than a car. While hiring a motorbike driver has its benefits, the app caps the distance at 25km. So you cannot book a motorbike driver for long distances.

If you are planning to travel across town, I would recommend Kura Kura or a Go-Car service so that you can relax in air conditioning (which you will appreciate in the tropical climate!).

To hire a driver:

On the main menu, click on “Go-Ride” to hire a motorbike driver, and “Go-Car” for a car driver

Enter the destination info in: “where would you like to go?”

Enter your pick up location

The page will display the route and the cost of the ride. If you agree, click on “order Go-Ride” or “order Go-Car.”

That’s it! Easy, peasy! Now just wait for your driver to arrive.

Go-ride booking page

Note: At the time of this writing, you cannot use a credit card to pay for Go-Jek services.

As a foreigner who does not have an Indonesian bank account, you can either pay with cash or “Go-Pay” which requires you to fill your Go-Jek account with credit. You can walk into any Alfamart or Indomaret (a chain of local convenience stores) to top up your Go-Jek credit.

#4 Grab

Grab is equivalent to Uber in Bali. Grab offers motorbike/car service as well as food delivery for about the same cost as Go-Jek. To get to Sanurfrom the airport, for example, it’s about a 30-minute ride and the GrabCar fare is about Rp60,000 (same as Go-Car). A metered taxi, on the other hand, would cost about Rp100,000-130,000 depending on traffic.

If you have access to Go-Jek or Grab, these services are cheaper than a metered taxi.

The Grab app menu has a slightly different layout than Go-Jek.

When you open the Grab app, you will have 3 main options:

Transport (if you want to hire a motorbike or car service)

Food (if you want to order delivery)

Delivery (if you want something delivered from you to point X)

To hire a driver:

Click on Transport, on the main menu and enter “where are you going?”

The app is defaulted to look for a Grab Car driver. If you want to look for a motorbike driver, click on the white box with Grab Car at the bottom of the screen, and click on the Grab Bike icon. The app will then search for the nearest Grab Bike driver.

Just like Go-Jek, if you agree to the price indicated on the screen, click on the green “Book” button and voila!

You can order a Grab Car or Grab Bike driver

So why have two apps?

Well, I have found that depending on where you are, Go-Jek drivers are more accessible than Grab drivers, or vice versa. So I have both apps just in case.

The costs of the two apps are nearly the same, in my experience.

But here are the main differences:

⇒ Go-Jek offers better food delivery options. There are a lot more menus to choose from on Go-Jek.

⇒ Grab allows you to enter your credit card for payment, just in case you are short on cash. If you are a traveler who relies on your plastic cards for a payment transaction, Grab can be a more convenient option than Go-Jek.

Note: In some parts of Bali, Go-Jek and Grab drivers are banned. The drivers can drop off guests but are not allowed to pick up new passengers. For this reason, Go-Jek and Grab drivers are rarely available in these areas:

Canggu

Ubud

North coast (Pemuteran, Lovina)

East coast (Tulamben, Amed)

If you are in South or Central Bali (Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Denpasar) or some parts of the West coast (Kuta, Legian & Seminyak) Go-Jek or Grab are readily accessible.

#5 Blue Bird Taxi

A metered taxi is perhaps the most convenient option for transportation in Bali, particularly in some of the more populated areas. You can easily hail one on the street without waiting for a Go-Jek or Grab driver to show up. But you generally pay for this convenience, as metered taxis run higher than Go-Jek or Grabservices.

If you end up hailing a taxi, make sure you stick to Blue Bird Taxi, which is the most reputable Bali taxi. Be careful of the “blue” taxis that look identical to each other. They may be blue, but they are not all BLUE BIRD.

Why use Blue Bird ONLY?

Other “blue” taxi drivers sometimes try to rip off visitors by refusing to turn on the meter. Instead, they demand a flat rate to your destination at an inflated price

Some taxis adjust or manipulate their meter so that the fare becomes more expensive

In some taxis, the driver is not the person identified as the licensed taxi driver on the dashboard

Bottom line: Non-Blue Bird taxis are known for scams and shady operation. Stick with Blue Bird for a hassle-free and fraud-free experience.

If ever during your adventure, you end up in a location where Go-Jek or Grab drivers are scarce or unavailable, you can order a Blue Bird taxi using their app or calling their hotline.

FYI, if you book a Blue Bird taxi using their app or phone line, you will be charged a minimum fare of Rp30,000 even if your meter runs less than that amount.

#6 Private Driver

All the transportation options discussed so far are useful for getting you from one location to another.

At some point during your stay though, you will likely want tohire a driver for a day tourto take you temple-hopping or on a shopping spree for local arts, jewelry, and souvenirs around the island. These drivers also make a great tour guide!

Considering you get a private driver for a full day for just over $30, it’s not a bad deal (if you hire a private driver in person, you can expect to pay $40-60/day). If you happen to find a fellow-traveler to split the cost of the driver hire, even better!

If you are hiring a driver, make sure you have an itinerary of your Bali tour. Otherwise, you can book package tours that highlight some of the best spots in Bali.

Here are some top rated Bali tours you don’t want to miss!

#7 Car Rental

Renting a car is another option if you possess an international license and want to be your own driver. However, considering how cheap you can hire a private driver in Bali, I think it may be wise to have someone else drive through narrow roads, fight traffic and navigate the GPS.

Note about Nusa Islands

If you are heading to the Nusa Islands – Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan or Nusa Penida – the only transport option at the time of this writing is a motorbike rental or a push bike.

On the big island of Penida, you can also hire a driver with a car. But a car service is not available on Lembongan or Ceningan.

On Nusa Lembongan, you will see a version of a Bali bemo – a local truck that carries passengers on bench seating in the back. Some hotels and restaurants provide free pickup service on these local trucks. Besides that, your modes of transportation are bicycle, motorbike and your feet!

Transportation in Bali Summary

Bali has developed exponentially since I first visited the island in 2009, and the public transportation system has become more convenient and accessible than ever before. Various transportation options have become available, helping you to explore and discover off the beaten trackspots and hidden secrets of Bali.

Make sure to get off the tourist trail and experience the real Bali to make your trip most memorable!

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About Me

Hi there! I'm Mo, a former New Yorker turned mermaid, who is obsessed with coconuts, scuba diving and ice cream :)
Click on my photo to learn how I traded my business suit for a bathing suit to pursue a life of fulfillment, and created a life in paradise!